Numbers games this month: What comes after a trillion? Well, 60 percent of the nation doesn’t know it’s a quadrillion, though most (barely) college graduates do. It seems half the country (half a gazillion?) doesn’t care if there’s an N.F.L. lockout, but those people probably aren’t affected by the potential loss in revenue, which will likely number in the bazillions. Not even 1 person out of 10 thinks a lockout would be, in effect, the end of the world. Without football, would more people go off to see a movie? Younger people are more likely to think movies “have never been better,” but a solid 22 percent of us say there are too many remakes and sequels, so filmmakers should think about presenting something fresh (but maybe not about football). Speaking of gazillions and bazillions, balancing the federal budget can best be begun by taxing the rich, according to nearly two-thirds of Americans. But here’s a shocker: the percentages endorsing this approach seem to drop as the respondents’ incomes rise. Finally, let’s close with something more philosophical than fiscal: would Americans erase a terrible memory if they could? Nope. In overwhelming numbers (86 percent), we would choose to keep all our memories, good and bad— even, one assumes, flashbacks to Caddyshack II.

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__The N.F.L. may not play next season, because
team owners and players have not agreed on a
new collective-bargaining agreement.
What would an N.F.L. lockout mean to you?__
__ALL__
__MEN__
__WOMEN__
__18-29__
__30-44__
__45-64__
__64+__
Who cares?
49%
39%
59%
34%
49%
55%
58%
They’ll figure it out
and play
31
35
27
38
29
29
26
I’ll spend less time
on the couch
10
12
7
34
49
55
58
It would ruin my
sports year
9
13
6
18
9
7
3

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__If you could snap your fingers and magically
fix one troubled part of the world, which one of
the following would you choose?__
__TOTAL__
__MEN__
__WOMEN__
Washington, D.C.
36%
40%
32%
The Middle East
23
25
21
Haiti
14
12
16
Sub-Saharan Africa
12
10
14
New Orleans
12
9
15

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__Researchers are claiming that someday
it may be possible to have a terrible memory
wiped from your mind. Is there a moment
in your life that you would want removed from
your thoughts forever, or would you want
to keep all your memories no matter what?__
__ALL__
__MEN__
__WOMEN__
__18-29__
__30-44__
__45-64__
__65+__
Keep all memories
86%
86%
86%
86%
87%
86%
84%
Remove a bad memory
13
12
14
14
12
13
11